MANY SHOPS IN DARKNESS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22112, 7 June 1937, Page 10

MANY SHOPS IN DARKNESS

SATISFACTION WITH "BLACK-OUT" MR R. B. OWEN'S COMMENTS Satisfaction with the co-operation of retailers in the city in turning out their lights on Saturday night and last night to provide a "black-out" as a protest against the charges to commercial users of electricity was expressed last evening by the organiser of the protest, Mr R. B. Owen. He said that it was a surprise to him to see how well the shopkeepers had responded. Mr Owen said that most of the shops who had agreed to enter into the protest had turned off their lights on Saturday night, although the chemists were unable to do so while they were open. The position last night he described as almost a complete "blackout." A stroll through the city would have given proof of his remarks. The streets on Saturday night were certainly marked by an unusual lack of illumination. Many familiar signs were not seen, and shop windows usually brightly lit were in darkness. Last night the city was in even greater gloom. Although there were bright lights here and there, long stretches of some streets were illuminated only by the street lamps, presenting a notable contrast with the brillianqe of a few weeks ago during the Coronation celebrations. Prospect For To-night Mr Owen expects an even greater darkness in the city to-night, after he has sent reminders to retailers who apparenetly had forgotten to turn out all or some of their lights. There are some firms, however, which are supporting the Chamber of Commerce in its attitude and not joining in the protest in this form, and others who cannot take action because they are controlled from Wellington. But tonight, Mr Owen said, there would probably be many others who would have "accepted the permission" of the chairman of the electricity committee to turn off their lights. The retailers, he said, would probably take a plebiscite to decide how long the "black-out" would be continued. He regretted, however, that the action should be considered a boycott; it was merely a gentleman's protest to the council. He said that he was sorry, too, that two large firms had decided to cut out window-light-ing in the evening during the winter months, as the window lights and signs contributed largely in relieving the gloom of the ill-lighted streets. Engaging an Expert Suggested A suggestion made by Mr Owen was that the retailers should engage a consulting electrical engineer to put their case before the City Council, as the average man was dumbfounded when met by technical terms. It was absurd, he said, that commercial firms should have to pay five times the rates that were paid for cookers in the home, which were used during the peak periods, from 11 a.m. to noon, and from 4 to 5 p.m. But it was not with the domestic rates that he had any quarrel. Another point which he suggested that could be brought before the council was the scrapping of the present Municipal Electricity Department building. He suggested that the new building could be built on the land at the corner of Manchester and Gloucester streets, where the large frontage was of no advantage for the yards at present there, and the old building could b. subdivided and leased, the income thus derived going to assist in paying for the new building. A third point was that the street light could be greatly improved, as there was an abundance of power after the factories closed in the evening. "It is to be hoped that as a result of the protest the council will abandon its present policv of profiteering and substitute one of service," Mr Owen concluded.